Not For Human Consumption
by TheOriginalUser
Summary: Rosalie warned them, she didn't tell them what would happen but she warned them not to inhale it. It was meant to stop one specific Wessen but as it turns out, it has a whole other set of effects on Blutbadden and Grimms. Monroe thinks that this makes everything awkward but it all works out for the best in the end.
1. Chapter 1

**This is for the lovely ****gabesmom09 ****who gave me a simple request for a oneshot that I admit I let get a little out of hand. Here is the first part of three!**

**T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K**

"Okay Nick. One last time. Do not, under any circumstances, inhale that. Do you understand?" Rosalie says sternly as she hands me the envelope of powder.

"Yes, I got it the first twenty times you told me." I tuck the packet safely into my pocket.

"Okay. Make sure Monroe knows as well. You two stay safe out there okay?"

I nod, "We will."

"You get it?" Monroe asks once I'm seated next to him in his car, he had decided not to come in with me since things have been a little awkward between the two Wessen after their break up.

"Yeah." I pat my pocket, "Let's go."

**T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K**

"Ni-ck..." I look over to Monroe, he's got three guys on top of him, one with their hands wrapped tight around his throat, cutting off his air supply. The gash on his arm is steadily bleeding out into the sawdust and dirt.

My heart is pounding as I simultaneously fight the one guy not on Monroe and search the ground for the envelope of powder that's supposed to stop these guys. I kick the tall man in the groin and drop to my knees as he goes down, searching frantically for the powder. I hear him groan behind me, shuffling in the wood shavings, getting up to come at me again. My hand touches the smooth paper of the envelope and I pick it up, fumbling for a split second with the flap before it's open and I'm able to toss the orange powder into the air. I cover my nose and mouth with my arm, watching as all four men try and run. They're able to make it a few feet before they're frozen in place, skin crackling, slowly turning into smooth grey granite that will disintegrate to dust within minutes.

"Shit. Monroe?" I crawl over to the Blutbad, the dust hangs in the air making it hard to see, "Monroe?" I shake his shoulder, "Monroe, come on man." I check for a pulse, "God dammit Monroe!" I start compressions on my friend, fifteen compressions then damn the side effects, I take a deep breath of the dusty air, tilt his chin up, pinch his nose and give him two breaths.

He's gasping for air beneath me, hands flying out at attackers that aren't there.

"Monroe! Monroe. They're gone. It's just us." I grab his wrists and he strains weakly against my hold. "Fuck, you lost a lot of blood." I rip off my shirt, pressing it to his arm. I reach into my back pocket for my phone, pulling it out only to realize that it's smashed beyond help, "Fuck." I dig into Monroe's front pocket and pull out his phone, dialing nine one one.

The ambulance is there in no time, paramedics wrap up his arm and have him on an IV of O negative before he's even on the stretcher. I ride with him, his hand weakly grips mine all the way to the hospital and he gives me a deliriously goofy grin through his oxygen mask.

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"Thanks for giving us a ride Hank." I pull Monroe's good arm around my shoulders, his other hanging limp in a sling and help him out of the car.

"Yeah, of course. Are you two gonna be alright?"

"We'll be fine, just going to take it easy."

"Okay. I'll see you on Monday."

"See you." I close the car door and Hank drives away with a wave.

"Alright, let's get you inside." I support Monroe and we hobble our way into his house, I help him to the couch where he sits gingerly on the cushions, the majority of his left side is covered in deep purple bruises and angry red lacerations from being thrown against the wall, I hiss as my cracked ribs protest to my bending over. "I'm going to change, do you want anything?"

"Food." He slowly relaxes into the back of the couch.

"Want to order pizza? I'm buying." I offer, already pulling off the too small scrub shirt the hospital had given me.

"You'd better damn well be buying." Monroe laughs painfully.

"Here's my card. Call it in? I'm gonna find a shirt and get us some beer."

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I've washed as much of the sweat, dirt and blood off of myself as possible and I'm just heading down the stairs in a clean shirt and boxers when the doorbell rings. I move as quickly as I can to grab a tip from my wallet before I answer the door.

"Large barbecue tofu and two chocolate lava cakes?" The delivery boy asks cheerfully.

"Yeah." I take the boxes from him and hand him a ten, "Thanks."

"Thank you. Have a great night."

"You too." I shut and lock the door behind me, "Uh, Monroe, what are you doing?"

The Blutbad looks up at me with an utterly defeated look on his face, his jeans wrapped around his thighs.

"I can't get them off." He groans, "Will you help me?"

I struggle not to laugh, setting the pizza on the couch and kneeling in front of him. I gently work his jeans over his feet and knees, pulling them all the way off and tossing them in a pile next to the couch.

"Better?" I stand.

"Yes, thank you."

I go into the kitchen and grab two beers from the fridge finally being able to sink down into the couch next to Monroe.

"We should call Rosalie." I lean over Monroe and pick up his cell from the end table, "Should have called her first." I dial Rosalie's number and wait for her to pick up, it rings once and goes straight to her voice mail, I hang up, "I'll try the shop." I dial again but it rings out, "She never told me what would happen if we inhaled it."

"Well it's been four hours now, nothings happened. Maybe we didn't get enough?"

"Maybe." I settle back, "Oh god." I crack open the beers, handing one to Monroe, "Want to watch Being Human?" Monroe hands me a slice of pizza.

"Okay." We settle in to the latest episode.

We're about fifteen minutes in when the cramps start, light at first but they grow more intense as the minutes pass until I can't focus on what Josh and Aiden are arguing about. I curl forward, pressing my hand to my lower stomach, not even noticing the pain in my ribs.

"Nick? Are you okay?" Monroe runs his hand down my back and just like that the cramps stop.

"I-uh, yeah. No, it must have been something I ate not agreeing with me for a second."

"Okay." We sit back.

Ten minutes later the fidgeting starts and this time it's not me. Monroe uncrosses and recrosses his legs for the hundredth time, smoothing the palm of his good hand down his thigh.

"Are you alright?" I pause the TV, turning to face Monroe.

"Is it hot in here? Are you hot?" He wipes sweat from his forehead.

"No, I'm fine. Are you having a reaction to your antibiotics?"

"I don't think that's it." He glances over at me and I can see the red of his eyes.

"Shit, do you think it's...I'll try Rosalie again." I grab his cell phone and try both of her numbers twice more with no luck, "She's not answering. Maybe we should see if we can find anything in the trailer." I lean back over Monroe to set his phone down and the next thing I know I'm on my back on the floor with Monroe over me, "Ow fuck Monroe, what the hell?" My ribs are screaming.

"Nick I-" He shakes his head, good hand scrubbing down his face, he sits up straight, still straddling me. Standing slowly, he helps me up. "I don't know what that was." Monroe sits back on the couch, I stand in front of him.

"Are you okay to go to the trailer or should I go alone?" I'm concerned, he might have gotten more of the powder than me and is having a reaction.

Monroe looks up at me from his seat on the couch, eyes flashing red again. He grabs my wrist and tugs me down into his lap until we're pressed chest to chest and my knees are sunk into the couch cushions on either side of his hips.

"Fuck Monroe, I know you're not feeling all there but could you please stop...manhandling me..." I trail off.

Monroe's face is burning red, back to himself once more.

"I'm sorry." His voice comes out in a whisper. He's hard, pressed into my backside through just two thin layers of boxers.

"No, it's okay, you're just having a reaction to the powder." I don't move.

"You should go. Before I do something I'll regret."

"Do you think..." My hands twist into the front of his cotton tee, "I mean..." I clear my throat, "If we...did it? Do you think it would go away?"

"No Nick, you can't. I won't let you."

"Why? If it solves our problem! I would rather have sex with you than drive all the way out to the trailer and sit for hours trying to find a solution that might not even be there."

"And if it doesn't work? If this makes everything awkward between us? I won't have it Nick."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but things should already be pretty damn awkward, but they aren't, are they?"

"Yes they are. I'm sitting here with a boner with my best friend in my lap and he's suggesting sex which I know you'll regret in the morning and how is sex where one person is aroused and the other isn't not awkward?"

"Well yes, that would be awkward, but that's not the case here is it? See now I should be the one embarrassed and feeling awkward. You have an excuse, you were drugged. I'm just hard at the thought of having sex with you."

"Nick you-"

"So will you shut up and fuck me before I change my mind and if it doesn't work, well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Monroe hesitates for a moment before his lips are on mine, tongue probing and teeth nipping. His one good hand grips the hem at the back of my shirt and pulls, trying to get it off. I end up having to pull the shirt off myself, tossing it to join his previously discarded pants.

"Help me out of this." Monroe fiddles uselessly with the velcro on his sling.

"You'll tear your stitches." I swat his hand away.

"I won't use it much. I just want to feel you." He argues between sucking a bruise onto my neck.

"Fine, just don't whine later." I pull the velcro and slide the strap out of the loop, gently helping him work his hand out of the mesh and throwing the sling aside, "Now your turn." He holds his arms up allowing me to pull his tee over his head.

Monroe runs his hands down my sides, the fingers of his left hand significantly colder than his right causing a shiver to run down my spine. His hands come to rest on my ass pulling me flush against him. He does his best to thrust up, grinding our erections together.

"Oh fuck Monroe."

"Sorry, did I hurt you?"

"No, no, it feels good." I pant into his neck.

"I did hurt myself though."

"Your arm?" I pull back to look at him.

"No my hip, I hit the wall pretty hard."

"Oh. Let me do all the work then." His hips still as I press down onto him, "You have any lube?"

"In the kitchen." I give him a skeptical look, "What? I went to the store yesterday and I didn't have a chance to put anything away before you were asking for my help and getting us into this mess."

"Alright." I laugh, climbing off of him on unsteady legs to retrieve the bottle.

I hand Monroe the lube then gently tug his boxers down over his legs and pull of my own before I return to his lap. Looking between us it's easy to see that his erection is significantly larger than mine.

"Have you uh ever done this before?" I ask uncertainly.

"Had sex?"

"With a guy?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Any, er, problems? I mean...you're kind of big."

"No he was fine."

"Was he a Blutbad too?"

"He was human."

"Okay." That makes me feel a bit better. "Can you prep me?"

"Yeah." Monroe pops the cap on the lube, thoroughly coating the fingers of his right hand.

I take both of our erections in hand, leaving his bad arm to rest around my waist.

"Ready?"

"Mmmhmm." His first finger slips in to the knuckle easily and he's quick to add a second.

"Anything you want to tell me?" Monroe asks, fingers crooking and searching.

"Like?" I let out a moan into his shoulder.

"Why you're so easy?" He adds a third finger.

"Does it matter? Oh fuck! Right there Monroe!" I cry out as he rubs against my prostate.

"Yes." Monroe growls, biting my neck over the bruise he left earlier.

"Why?" It's hard to get out even the single syllable.

"Maybe I'm jealous."

"Jealous? Oh..." A fourth finger joins the others just for good measure and this one stings a bit.

"Yeah."

"Before I came home yesterday- oh god!"

"Yeah? Before you came home yesterday what? You fucked another guy?" Monroe presses mercilessly into my prostate.

"No, god no. Ah, Monroe stop, I'm going to come if you keep that up." My hand hangs limp around us, too caught up in the pleasure he's giving me.

"Then tell me." He growls into my ear.

"I fucked myself." His fingers freeze and I give an involuntary whine of protest.

"You..."

"Fucked myself. Is that a crime?" I try to press back against his hand but he pulls back.

"Tell me about it."

"Monroe~"

"Tell me about it." He repeats himself, this time pulling his fingers out by a fraction of an inch.

"Okay, okay." I concede, "I..." I take a deep breath, "I keep a dildo in my car." I wait for him to laugh but he doesn't so I go on, "Sometimes after work, if I've had a long day or if I'm coming home with a Grimm case and I know you and I will be in tight quarters for an extended period of time...I get myself off. I park in the second to top floor of the parking garage at work where no one ever parks and where there aren't any cameras and I fuck myself."

Monroe starts to slowly thrust his fingers into my body.

"Why?"

"Well, ah, if it was a long day I just want to blow off steam. Oh god...if I'm coming home with a Grimm case, it's so I don't pop a boner while you and I are pressed together in some horridly tiny hiding place."

"And what do you think about when you're getting off?"

I lean back so that I can look into his eyes, "You. Every time. I imagine it's you fucking me."

Monroe's eyes flash red and in one swift move his fingers are gone and his dick is buried to the hilt. My back arches of its own accord and despite the sting of penetration I'm dragged closer to the edge, heat curling in my lower stomach.

"Oh~ fuck." My fingernails dig into his shoulders.

"Well stop." He waits for me to adjust, "If you have a long day, I'm more than willing to have sex with you."

"That's the drugs talking."

He doesn't say anything and after a minute I brace my hands on his shoulders and lift myself almost all the way off of him, slowly sliding back down onto his length, I build up a good rhythm and speed until I'm riding him in earnest, watching the way his face twists in pleasure, curly hair matted to his forehead with sweat, chest flushed. This might be my only chance to see him like this, to feel him inside of me and I drink in every second of it, storing away every tiny detail to further fuel my fantasies later. I want it to last forever but it's just minutes before I feel my orgasm tear through me, come coating our lower stomachs. He finishes seconds later, my inner walls clenching and spasming around him as he fills me, coming for several long moments, his arms wrapped around my back, holding me tight. When Monroe is done, when he's coming down from the high of orgasm, I pull off of him, situating myself on his thighs.

"Do you feel any better?" I push sweaty hair out of his eyes.

"Much." his left hand comes up, tracing the curve of my jaw, pulling me into a gentle kiss.

"We should still go to the trailer, see if there's any information, see if having sex would get rid of it completely."

"Yeah, can I have a minute first?" He's still holding me tight and I don't protest.

"Sure."

**T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K**

"Here's something." I sit up off the bed and Monroe comes to stand next to me, "This orange dust composed of blah blah blah," I run my finger under the lines of text, "If inhaled by any other Wessen will cause an intense mating heat, only curable by sating the lust through sexual penetration. Done! If inhaled by a human, Grimm included, will cause extreme...extreme what?" The line cuts off at the end of the page, the opposite trailing on about a completely different Wessen, "What the hell?"

"I guess we should head to the shop a little later?"

I check my watch, it's seven in the morning, "Well if we leave now we can probably catch her as she's opening."

"You want to go then?"

"Yeah." I close the book, sending up a cloud of dust and set it at the foot of the bed.

**T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K**

"Rosalie, you in?" The little bell over the door chimes as we enter the quiet shop.

"Yeah, Nick, I'm in the back, you want some tea?" She pops her head out of the door to the back room, "Oh hey Monroe, you want some?"

"Yes, please." Rosalie waves us back.

"So what can I do for you boys?" The little woman putters around the small kitchen as Monroe and I take seats in the sitting area.

"You never told me what would happen if we inhaled the powder."

"Don't tell me you did." She turns to face us.

"Monroe wasn't breathing! I had to give him CPR!"

She throws her hands up in the air, grumbling to herself as she stomps over to a shelf and pulls out a book, she flips it open and sets the tome on the coffee table in front of us.

"Read." She goes back to finishing up the tea.

The page is nearly word for word to the one in the trailer but this entry is complete, I read aloud.

"If inhaled by a human, Grimm included, will cause extreme fertility? What?"

"Read on." Rosalie waves her hand over her shoulder.

"If inhaled by a woman, chance of conception will be increased ten fold, conception will carry on naturally. If inhaled by a male, a uterus will be formed in the fourth or fifth hour after inhalation resulting in severe cramps for a short period of time before the uterus becomes fully functional..."

"Keep going." Rosalie sets two cups of tea on the table in front of us.

"I don't want to." I don't want to know what it's going to say.

She sighs and takes the book from me, reading it herself, "If the male is sexually active with a female, the chances of the female conceiving increase ten fold. If the male is sexually active with another male but is not penetrated, nothing will happen, if the male is penetrated and does not use protection and if his partner ejaculates within him, there is a 99.3% chance that he will conceive. The fertility effects on the human body will last five days before wearing off, the male uterus will remain though it will be non-functioning." Rosalie shuts the book, "Now, considering that Monroe seems to be perfectly fine, I'm just going to assume that you two had sex, whatever, no judgement, but please oh please tell me that you used protection." She sits across from us.

Monroe and I glance at each other, faces reddening and I think she has her answer.

"What do we do now?" Monroe asks.

"You wait. It will take at least ten days before a pregnancy test can give you a clear result. In the mean time, buy a pack of condoms for god's sake.

**T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K**

Back at the house Monroe and I are sitting on the couch, the only sound around us is the clocks.

"I'm sorry." Monroe is the one to break the silence.

"It's not your fault. Besides there's a .7% chance that I'm not..." That sounded pathetic even to me, .7% is nothing.

Silence stretches for a few minutes.

"You said that you thought of me. Imagined it was me when you were...getting off."

"So?"

He takes my hand and I let him.

"Did I ever tell you why Rosalie and I broke up?" His thumb runs over my knuckles.

"No. Why did you? I thought you guys were great together."

"We were I suppose. It's all my fault though, I couldn't do that to her. I couldn't put her through a relationship that would go nowhere emotionally or physically. I love her though, just not in a way she deserves. See, I broke it off because I'm in love with someone else."

"Oh? Who?" I pull my hand from his and I know I'm being painfully transparent, but I don't care, I've been in love with Monroe for nearly a year now but I put aside my feelings when he started dating Rosalie because they really were good together, then when they broke up a little spark of hope had been lit in my heart only to be squashed out by Monroe here and now, telling me he was in love with someone.

"You'll love them, they're smart and funny and brave, very much like you in a lot of ways. Dark hair, green eyes, sweet smile, loves my cooking and listening to me play the cello and will sit next to me for hours while I repair clocks." Monroe goes on and on about this person and I just get angrier.

"Can you stop?" I pull my knees up to my chest.

"I'm almost done." He persists, "I've been in love with this person for a while now, I thought never in a million years could they be interested in me. They drink really bad beer and on occasion they like to eat meat but I can talk to them about anything and everything and I love them." I bury my face in my knees as the tears start to flow, "What makes it really hard though is that I have to see this person every day and it's been so hard to hide my feelings. You see, this guy has been living in my spare room for a couple of months now when I really just wish he'd move into my room so I could wake up to his stupid oblivious face every morning." Monroe presses himself into my side, wrapping his arms around me and peppering kisses over my neck and what area of my cheek he can reach.

"You're an idiot." I sob, wiping my face with my sleeve.

"I know."

"I love you too." I hug him back.

"I know. And I want you to know that no matter what, I'm always going to be here for you. We made a mistake, you might be pregnant but that's okay because it's ours, if you are then I'll love it and spoil it and if not, maybe we can re-visit the subject in a couple of years. I love you."

This time it's my turn, "I know."

**T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K**

**So there we have it, part one, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it :)**


	2. Chapter 2

"What are you doing?" I tilt my head to expose more of my neck to Monroe's exploring lips not stopping in my task of chopping up potatoes for dinner.

"Nothing." Monroe trails his hands up and down my sides, landing on my hips and pulling me to him, obvious erection pressed into my lower back.

"Sure feels like something." I drop the potatoes into the pot of water on the stove.

"Mmm, no."

"You positive?" I take my knife and cutting board to the sink, Monroe at my back the whole way.

"Yeah. I can't just hold you?" I turn to face him.

"Well, I don't know, we have about fourty minutes until dinner is ready." I smooth out the collar on Monroe's shirt.

"Yeah?"

"Mmmhmm."

"And," Monroe leans in close, whispering in my ear, "I bought condoms."

"That shouldn't be hot." I say as Monroe leads me upstairs.

**T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K**

"What is this?" Monroe looks up from his work, taking the timepiece from my hands.

"It's a clock." I pull up a stool next to him.

"I see that, and it's a beautiful piece. The woodwork on this is...wow."

"It's for you." I run my fingers over the carved surface of the clock, every inch of the cherry wood is shaped into the faces of a hundred different Wesson, growing up I had seen it a few times and it had really creeped me out, now knowing the meaning behind the seemingly half animal half human faces I can see the beauty in it, "It's been in my family for...well I'm not sure exactly how long, a very long time, I can say that."

"I can't take this." Monroe protests, sliding the clock towards me across his work bench.

"Yes you can. Come on, if I keep it all it will do is collect dust in a box in a trailer. I know you'll appreciate it, keep it in good shape." I comb my fingers through his hair, kissing his temple, "I'm going to shower, you find it a home."

**T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K**

"I'm going crazy." I stretch out on the sheets, sweat and semen cooling on my skin.

"It's only been three days."

"I know!" I roll over suddenly, laying myself out on top of Monroe and tangling our legs together, "And there's a week left. That's forever." I lean up on my elbows, stroking his beard with my fingertips.

"It'll be over before you know it." Monroe wraps his arms around my shoulders.

"And if it's not? If it's nine months and the rest of our lives?"

"I will be happy. I will be extatic. As cheesy as it is I will be the happiest man on Earth!" Monroe buries his fingers in my hair, dragging me down into a kiss.

"You're ridiculous, but it's the same for me."

"And you're sticky." He doesn't make a move to get up or push me off only slides his hand from the back of my head to cup my cheeks and just looks up at me.

"What?" I glance away from his searching eyes.

"It's all going to be fine."

"I know." I cross my arms on his chest resting my head on the makeshift pillow, fully intent on falling asleep and he doesn't protest, pulling a blanket over us.

**T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K**

"Only three more days." Rosalie sips quietly at her tea, watching me wander around her shop, picking up random items and reading the lists of benefits and ingredients.

"What does this do?" I hold up a small ash box that only has the Latin name of whatever is inside it scrawled on the front.

"That is made into a tea to increase the male libido. Need some?" Rosalie giggles.

"Uh, no." I move on, setting the box back in it's place on the shelf.

"Are you okay Nick?" Rosalie suddenly dons her serious voice, behind me I hear her tea cup being set onto it's saucer.

"I'm fine why?" I pick up a glass jar of rose oil nearly dropping it.

"Do I have to answer that?"

"No." I stop in my exploring, returning to my seat across the counter from Rosalie, "I'm...I'm not worried. I mean I _am _worried. But if I am...well pregnant, let's just stay it, I'm not worried about it, I think I'll be okay, Monroe will be a great dad weather it's now or three years from now."

"So will you." Rosalie offers me a reassuring smile.

"Thanks."

**T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K**

"Would, you, stop, that!" My exclamation is punctuated by me slapping Monroe's hands away.

"Sorry." Monroe laughs, pulling away, the lock of my hair he had been playing with curls back around my ear and I smoothe it into place, "Why have I never seen your hair this long? How does you hair grow so damn fast?"

I set aside my book, turning to face Monroe, "You've never seen it this long because I usually have a chance to cut it every few days and I don't know how it grows so damn fast, I really wish it didn't." I frown at Monroe.

"I like it. It's cute." His hands return to my hair, fingers tangling in my damp curls.

"Well tomorrow it has to go. It's getting in the way at work."

"But tonight?" Monroe pulls me close.

"I'll take care of it in the morning."

**T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K**

"So?" I look up from the test to Monroe.

"So." He repeats.

"I guess congratulations are in order. You're gonna be a dad." I swallow down the lump in my throat.

"So are you."

"Yeah." I feel tears well up in my eyes and spill over.

"Hey are you okay? Do you not...I understand if you don't want-" There's a deep sadness in his voice.

"God no! Monroe I could never- No, I'm just, really, really happy."

Monroe pulls me into a hug, kissing the top of my head, "Me too."


	3. Chapter 3

"Ouch!" I yank my hand back from the flame, sucking on the little burn.

"Come on, everyone is waiting for us." Monroe slides the cake off the counter and we make our way to the living room where all the party guests are, starting the song.

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!" Our little girl kicks her feet excitedly in her high chair as everyone sings to her, clapping along when the song ends and we all applaud.

Monroe sets the cake in front of her and we both move to stand behind her, I lean forward.

"Are you ready to make a wish Marie?" I take her little hands in my own, "Make it a good one." I squeeze my own eyes shut, making a wish for my daughter's future, "Ready? One...two...three!" I blow out the candle for her and she laughs, "Yay!" I kiss her on the cheek and let her grab two big handfuls of the cake, our friends laughing.

Monroe leans down, kissing her on the opposite cheek, "Happy birthday baby girl."

We both stand, Monroe goes into the kitchen to get the full sized cake for the guests and I go around the room talking to every one.

"Hey man congratulations." Hank pats me on the back, "You made it through the first year alive."

I laugh, "And now it's your turn."

"Yeah, I don't know that I'll do as good as you guys though. Marie is great."

"You'll be an amazing dad. You're amazing with Marie, I can't imagine you'll do any less for your son."

"I guess I'm just nervous."

"You'll be great. I'll help you out. If you have any problems you can call me, I'll even let you tell her that you did it all on your own."

This time Hank laughs, "She won't believe it for a second but thanks Nick."

"No probably not." We chat for a few more minutes before I move on.

I find Rosalie knelt in front of Marie.

"Mmm, that looks yummy." Rosalie says as Marie misses her mouth and smears pink frosting all over her left cheek, "Can I have some?" Marie willingly holds out a fistful of cake for Rosalie who pretends to eat it, "Mmm, delicious!" Rosalie tickles Marie's tummy under her tray, causing a fit of giggles.

"What are you girls up to?" I smooth Marie's mess of ebony curls out of her face.

"Hey, Nick. We were just talking girl stuff, you know. Oh god, can I get a hand up?" Rosalie holds up her arm and I take it, helping to pull her up into a standing position, "Jesus, did you have this much trouble getting up and down at eight and a half months?" She presses a hand into her lower back, sighing as she takes a little pressure off of her spine from her protruding stomach.

"Yeah, most definitely. Don't worry, you're almost there."

"It feels like forever."

"I know," I laugh a little, "the last weeks are the hardest."

"I bit Hank's head off this morning because he didn't fold my pants right."

"Oh I know, I was ready to strangle Monroe for the slightest mis-step. Do you want to sit down?"

"God yes." We move over to the couch, "I feel so bad for him sometimes, I mean one second I'm screaming the next I'm laughing then I end up crying my eyes out and then it starts all over again. You know what I mean? He say's he understands but really, how could he right?"

"They do their best, that's all they can do." I smile at her.

"I know."

"It's all worth it in the end." I look over to Marie who has nodded off in her chair, face and arms covered in frosting, "I should take her upstairs."

"Alright, I'll see you in a few."

I stand, going over to Marie and unbuckling her from her high chair, gently lifting her out and cradling her against my shoulder without waking her up. I take her upstairs, changing her out of her bib and onesie, wiping all of the frosting and cake off of her with a warm wipe before laying her down with a little blanket in her crib. Monroe comes up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, kissing my shoulder.

"I think, inhaling that ridiculous orange dust was one of the best things we ever did." Monroe murmurs into my neck.

"I think so too. We've done good."

Monroe pulls me closer, whispering in my ear, "Wanna try again?"

I don't hesitate before answering, "Yes."

**T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K-T-H-I-S-I-S-A-L-I-N-E-B-R-E-A-K**

**There we have it, the third and final part!**


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